“You always have the power to reinvent your career. But with that power comes a significant responsibility: being accountable for your own success.” - Sally Hogshead
One of the most amazing things I’ve realized recently is that good or bad, no matter what the situation is that we’re in, we have in some way contributed to our getting there. On the one hand that could be seen as depressing because that’s just one more thing we can kick ourselves over. But on the other hand - how empowering it is! …

After living in the remote wilderness of West Virginia all his life, an old hillbilly decided it was time to visit the big city.
In one of the stores he picks up a mirror and looks in it. Not ever having seen one before, he remarked at the image staring back at him, “How about that! Here’s a picture of my daddy.”
He bought the mirror thinking it was a picture of his daddy, but on the way home he remembered his wife didn’t like his father, so he hung it in …

I just swept and mopped my 100 square foot office (about a 10×10 foot area). Now I’m lying down to rest. I will rest for 30 to 45 minutes and then get up and wash dishes in the small bathroom sink, or do something else for 15 minutes before I rest again. Like millions of Americans, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Most of the time it stays in remission. But every so often, after a month or so of unusual stress, it rears its head and I know …

Hats off to “The Rat Race Trap” (one of my favorite blogs) for the inspiration on this post! The compass? It’s about “finding the right direction.”
Stephen’s post today was about “In defense of laziness,” and he pointed out that different lifestyle choices are just that - choices. For instance, he said, if you enjoy living in a pizza box, beer bottle strewn apartment, but then hook up with a neat freak who wants “more” out of life, chances are you’re going to be miserable, or you’re going to change or …

“Most often, heartbroken people are unknowingly grieving a loss or trauma rooted in childhood or adolescence. That’s because we tend to fall in love with people who remind us of those who care for us – even badly – when we were young and totally vulnerable.” —Martha Beck
I think Martha’s right. But I think we also tend to seek out friends, jobs and employers who also remind us of those who cared for us - even badly - when we were young and vulnerable. I call them shadow relationships …